The Vice President of the Republic, Hamilton Mourão, participated, this Tuesday (20), in the seminar “Potential of Bilateral Trade in Food between Brazil and Peru”, at the Brazilian Embassy in Lima. In his speech to Brazilian and Peruvian businessmen , the vice president highlighted the bilateral trade flow, which reached US$ 4.25 billion in 2021, an increase of 78% over the previous year. 
“The data available for 2022 confirm the trend of increasing this exchange. Between January and August of this year, the trade flow reached US$ 3.3 billion, which represents an increase of 21% compared to the same period last year. In other words, we are heading for a new record in 2022,” he said. Even so, Mourão highlighted that, in the agricultural sector, the growth potential of the trade flow is still very promising.
“Agrifood production is part of this expansion, but there are sectors that are still below their potential, such as the animal protein segment. Peru is the 22nd importer of chicken meat in Brazil and imports of beef and pork continue to This result does not reflect the potential of a neighboring country with more than 30 million inhabitants and with which we maintain a dynamic trade flow”, he observed.
Mourão also visited ExpoAlimentária today, the largest food and beverage fair in Latin America, with 560 exhibitors. The Brazil Pavilion counts on the participation of 13 exhibiting companies, in addition to other small and medium-sized companies that are part of the “Bioeconomy Space”, where products from Brazilian biodiversity will be presented, with emphasis on family farming ventures.
The vice president has been in Peru since Saturday (17), where he has an official agenda. Yesterday (19), he met with vice president of the Andean country, Dina Boluarte, who is holding the interim presidency of the country while the incumbent, Pedro Castillo, participates in the 77th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), in New York (USA).
According to the legislation, candidates cannot assume the post of President of the Republic in the six months prior to the election. First in the line of succession, Hamilton Mourão is running for a seat in the Senate, for Rio Grande do Sul. Because of this, he traveled abroad to avoid having to assume the Presidency of the Republic.
Also on an official trip is the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), who is second in line for succession. He accompanies President Jair Bolsonaro’s entourage at the UN Assembly in New York. Lira is running for re-election to the position of federal deputy and could also have his candidacy questioned if he temporarily assumed the presidency, which is currently being exercised by the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG).
Hamilton Mourão is expected to arrive back in Brasília on Wednesday (21).
*Article changed at 8:50 pm for additional information.
